The Chicago Bears are no doubt having serious buyers remorse at this point regarding Trey Burton. GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy had a clear vision when they signed the tight end to a $32 million contract. They fell his versatility to line up in different spots and be a pass catching weapon were a perfect fit for the U spot in this offensive scheme. For the first couple of months in 2018, they were proven correct. Burton created significant matchup advantages.
However, things began to change towards the home stretch of the season. It started with a bout of anxiety in the lead up to the New York Giants game. Then as the playoffs and his former team the Philadelphia Eagles loomed, his groin suddenly locked up on him and he wasn’t able to play. Ever since then he’s been dealing with injuries including separate groin issue and a sports hernia. The Bears finally lost patience and placed him on IR.
One would say his future beyond 2019 looked gloomy in Chicago. Problem is his contract makes it unlikely he’ll be cut. So what do the Bears do? Their best hope was to find somebody who might be able to supplant him at the U tight end spot. Over the past few weeks, nobody had been able to step up. Then the Bears made a callup from the practice squad for undrafted free agent Jesper Horsted.
On Sunday against Detroit, they got a glimpse of what could be.
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Jesper Horsted, with time, can be what Trey Burton is
Horsted is a hell of a story. The Ivy League is often known best for their academic exploits, but from time to time they’ve been known to produce the occasional standout athlete. Horsted set records while at Princeton, catching 196 passes for 2,703 yards and 28 touchdowns. The kid was absolutely money when the ball went his way. That showed during his appearances in the preseason too. He finished with eight catches for 121 yards and two spectacular TD grabs.
So it wasn’t a huge surprise to see him make that grab in Detroit.
There are plenty of things that Horsted needs to work on from his blocking to the route running. Still, he’s got one of the most important parts of the job down already with a pair of great hands and excellent body control. If the Bears embrace this and give him a legitimate opportunity, they may have found their solution to the Burton Problem.
